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Jochen Hoffmann Karlstad University Department of Media and Communication Spring 2009 MKGBU1

Media, Culture and Technology:

Jochen Hoffmann KAU Spring 2010 Media, Culture and Technology 1

Media, Culture and Technology: Formation of Study Groups

Communication Channels

Phone 054 700 2429 Email jochen.hoffmann@kau.se

@

Jochen Hoffmann KAU Spring 2010 Media, Culture and Technology 2

Office Hour By arrangement Intranet Course webpage on www.kau.se

First Purpose of Groups: Text-based Exercises

• The task of the group is to prepare and moderate a text-based exercise

carried out with the rest of the class.

• Each group will be proposed a text. They may also select another text they

find out to be suitable. However, the supervisor has to agree.

• The goal of the exercise is to solve comprehension problems, to clarify

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• The goal of the exercise is to solve comprehension problems, to clarify

discrepancies, to assess the text critically, and to apply the ideas of the author to current media and communication issues.

• Day:

Wednesdays, 24.2. / 3.3. / 10.3. / 17.3.

• Time:

10.15 - 11.00 for groups 1 / 3 / 5 / 7 11.15 - 12.00 for groups 2 / 4 / 6 / 8

Didactic Tools for Text-Based Exercises

• Network: Groups are presented several key terms of a text. They develop a logical

structure of relationships and present the results.

• Poster: Groups transfer the contents of a text into a poster presentation that is mainly

based on visuals and symbols.

• Problem: Everybody jots an aspect down he/she does not understand. It is presented

to the class and together a solution is sought.

• Cross-off list: Students are confronted with key terms of a text. They cross off the

terms they understand. They discuss with their neighbours the meaning of the terms they did not cross off and afterwards they present their conclusions to the class.

Jochen Hoffmann KAU Spring 2010 Media, Culture and Technology

they did not cross off and afterwards they present their conclusions to the class.

• Review: The students collectively prepare a critical review of a text.
• Disputation: Two groups represent as lawyers opposing positions from two different
• texts. They exchange arguments and counter-arguments.
• Fish Bowl: One group forms an inner circle discussing the content of a text. A second

group forming an outer circle observes and evaluates the way the inner circle communicates.

• Transformation: Students are confronted with specific cases. They discuss how to

apply theoretical terms from a scientific text to the empirical issue.

Second Purpose of Groups: Essay Writing

• The topics are structured on the basis of 8 thematic clusters. Each group
• f the class is assigned to one cluster.
• The single topics constituting the clusters are just proposals. Everybody is

invited to provide own ideas for a topic he/she wants to work on.

• The members of the groups may, but they are not required to write the

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• The members of the groups may, but they are not required to write the

essays together as a team. Individual work is possible, as well.

• The length of each individual essay is between 3.000 and 4.000 words.
• The first version of the essay has to be submitted by 15.3. at the latest.
• Seminars, where you defend your essays, take place. from 9.15 to 16.00

at 22.3. for groups 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 and 23.3. for groups 5 / 6 / 7 / 8.

• The review that is based on the comments you got from the defence

seminar and from the lecturers has to be submitted by 12.4. at the latest.

Essay Cluster 1: New Technologies for Organizational Communication

• Manuel Castell’s approach of the network society and its application to
• rganizational communication
• Communication technologies and knowledge management in
• rganizations: approaches, tools, experiences
• E-Democracy at the workplace: How far contribute new media to

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• E-Democracy at the workplace: How far contribute new media to

participation in organizations?

• Case Study: The intranet of Karlstad University. History, services,

problems, future

Essay Cluster 2: The ICT Industry and its Communications

• The growth and burst of the dot-com bubble 1998-2000
• Specific characteristics of public relations for the ICT industry
• Case Study: Analyze internet sites of ICT firms: How do they describe the

uniqueness of their services and products? How far do they claim social responsibility?

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responsibility?

• Case Study: Analyze the launch of iPad: The PR strategy of Apple

Essay Cluster 3: Internet and journalism

• Linking “new” media and “traditional” media. How journalists make use of

the internet

• Linking “new” and “traditional” media markets: How publishing companies

make use of the internet

• Journalists as Bloggers: What is different to traditional media coverage?

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• Journalists as Bloggers: What is different to traditional media coverage?
• Case Study: The media coverage of the iPad launch

Essay Cluster 4: Media, Technologies and Political Communication

• The use of internet in political campaigns
• The use of internet in social campaigns
• Discuss the role of online activism in the current political scenario. You

can choose a country, or an issue such as environment, human rights, etc.

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etc.

• Case Study E-Government: How does the administration of Värmland

make use of new communication technologies?

Essay Cluster 5: Communication History and Medium Theory

• A historical review on the “invention” of radio: Describe and compare

utopian and dystopian appraisals

• A defense of Medium Theory. Based on relevant examples located in a

social setting, historical or contemporary, you provide a defense of Medium theory provided by Innis and McLuhan

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Medium theory provided by Innis and McLuhan

• A critique against Medium Theory. Based on relevant examples located in

a social setting, historical or contemporary, you provide a critique of the Medium Theory provided by Innis and McLuhan.)

• Discuss whether McLuhan’s theory, his thoughts and views about media

can be applied to internet.

Essay Cluster 6: Balancing the Public Sphere and the Private Sphere

• Surveillance Society. Discuss media, culture and technology in the

context of surveillance. Questions considered are the role of media in surveillance, the role of surveillance today, and peoples changing attitudes to surveillance and what is considered private and public in a new, digital media landscape.

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new, digital media landscape.

• Self presentation in social networks: the construction of personal identities

and values

• Social media: a new public sphere?
• Wikis: Participative knowledge management in the internet?

Essay Cluster 7: Globalization and Cosmopolitanism

• The role of media for cosmopolitanism: How major extensions in

transportation and communications during the last centuries has ‘networked the world’ and to what extent our way of thinking of ‘the Other’ has been altered due to this infrastructural ‘implosion’

• Global Media Networks: Americanization or modernization?

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• Global Media Networks: Americanization or modernization?
• Public Diplomacy: managing intercultural communication
• Case study: Globalization and Locality: Focusing on a specific location,

you provide an analysis on how processes of globalization has impacted and altered this location

Essay Cluster 8: Media, Technologies and Development

• Discuss the role of digital inclusion and democratization of the media and

communication on changing the social reality of developing societies.

• How would it be possible to overcome the digital gap? If it is possible how

can digital inclusion have an impact on development?

• The catastrophe as a global media event: Communication strategies of

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• The catastrophe as a global media event: Communication strategies of

development aid organizations

• The construction of cultural stereotypes: How do Western mass media

cover developing countries?

Group Formation

Group Exercise Day Time Essay Cluster Supervisor 1 Public Relations

• f the ICT

industry 24.2. 10.15 - 11.00 New technologies for

• rganizational communication

Jochen Hoffmann Defence Seminar: 22.3. 2 11.15 - 12.00 The ICT industry and its communications 3 The role of technology in advertisement 3.3. 10.15 - 11.00 Internet and journalism 4 11.15 - Media, technologies and

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advertisement and PR (PSa) 4 11.15 - 12.00 Media, technologies and political communication 5 Online civil society, online activism and media 10.3. 10.15 - 11.00 Communication history and medium theory Paola Sartoretto Defence Seminar: 23.3. 6 11.15 - 12.00 Balancing the public sphere and the private sphere 7 Technology, communication and development 17.3. 10.15 - 11.00 Globalization and cosmopolitanism 8 11.15 - 12.00 Media, technology and development

Next Steps

Each group informs the supervisors about its preference: writing a ’big’ essay together on the general cluster topic or writing individual essays on single topics? Each group informs the supervisors about individual

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Each group informs the supervisors about individual topics they selected and how they have been assigned to the group members.

Deadline: February, 15th